Market Systems Development - Technical Capacity Strengthening Consultant

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global humanitarian and development organization working with communities in the frontlines of conflict and climate change. We partner locally and globally to help people cope in the midst of crisis, adapt to a changing world, and thrive into the future. In 2025, we reached more than 36 million people with urgent aid and long-term solutions.

Enhancing resilience is at the heart of what Mercy Corps does and how we work. Mercy Corps strengthens sources of resilience to enhance the capacities of people, markets, and institutions to handle shocks, reduce risk, build more equitable and responsive systems, and improve well-being. Through our programs, partnerships, and influence, we support communities to cope, adapt, and ultimately thrive.

Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Mercy Corps has supported more than 1.2 million conflict-affected people in Ukraine and neighboring countries. We have provided humanitarian assistance for people in emergency situations and supported war-affected micro, small, and medium businesses, including farmers and agribusinesses, to recover their business activities. Increasingly, Mercy Corps is implementing Market Systems Development (MSD) approaches in Ukraine, seeking systemic solutions that build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economic opportunities for conflict-affected populations. Notably, nearly all our programming is delivered in partnership with civil society organizations — integrating program delivery, mutual growth, and experience exchange with a genuine commitment to localization.

Mercy Corps Ukraine is investing in strengthening internal team capacity on MSD programmatic and MSD Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) to enable more effective design, implementation, measurement, and adaptation of MSD programming across the portfolio. This includes building the team’s ability to plan and implement MSD interventions, monitor and measure outcomes and impact, demonstrate Value for Money (VfM), and continuously learn and adapt programming. To support this effort, Mercy Corps is engaging two complementary consultants: on broader MSD technical capacity strengthening (this Scope of Work) and the other focusing on MSD MEL and adaptive learning (separate Scope of Work). The consultancies are designed to be closely coordinated and mutually reinforcing.

Purpose Description:

Mercy Corps Ukraine is increasingly applying Market Systems Development (MSD) approaches to address systemic constraints affecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), farmers, and market actors in conflict-affected and recovery contexts. Through a portfolio of MSD programming, the team aims to design, test, adapt, and scale interventions that contribute to systemic change, including innovative partnership models, financial and non-financial service solutions, and market-based approaches that drive sustainable economic recovery and resilience.

Successful implementation of MSD programming across the full program lifecycle—including market systems analysis, intervention design, pilot implementation, program adaptation, and scale—requires program teams to strengthen their practical understanding and application of MSD principles. This includes capabilities in market systems analysis, intervention design, facilitation, partner engagement, adaptive management, and sustainability planning.

To support this objective, Mercy Corps Ukraine seeks a consultant to provide mentorship and technical support to its team. The assignment will combine tailored capacity strengthening based on individual and team needs with hands-on technical support applied throughout the MSD program lifecycle. Learning will be anchored in real program activities, allowing staff to build skills through direct application of MSD concepts and tools across planning, implementation, adaptation, and scale-up processes.

The consultancy will take an iterative and adaptive approach, flexibly responding to emerging programmatic priorities and team needs. It will be closely integrated with MSD MEL capacity strengthening efforts, ensuring strong collaboration with the MEL & Adaptive Learning Consultant and alignment between technical design, implementation, measurement, and learning.

Consultant Objectives:

The objective of this consultancy is to build on Mercy Corps Ukraine’s previous investments in Market Systems Development (MSD) capacity strengthening and support the program team in advancing to the next level of MSD practice. Through a combination of tailored mentorship, technical guidance, strategic advisory support, and practical application of MSD approaches within ongoing MSD initiatives, the consultancy will help institutionalize MSD thinking and strengthen the organization’s ability to design, implement, adapt, and manage a portfolio of market-based interventions. Specifically, the consultant will:

• Build on existing MSD knowledge and experience within Mercy Corps Ukraine to strengthen the practical application of MSD principles and facilitation approaches.

• Collaborate with the MC Ukraine leadership to strengthen their ability to manage an MSD portfolio

• Build individual and team competencies in market systems analysis, intervention design, partnership development, and adaptive management.

• Provide mentorship based on identified system and capacity gaps and learning needs.

• Support program teams in applying MSD concepts and tools to real MSD interventions through a learning-by-doing approach.

• Strengthen the quality, sustainability, and scalability of ongoing MSD initiatives.

• Work in coordination with the MSD MEL & Adaptive Learning Consultant to ensure alignment between technical implementation, learning, adaptation, and results measurement.

Activities of the Consultant

The consultant will deliver this assignment through an iterative, flexible, and portfolio-oriented approach, adapting to evolving program priorities and team needs. Activities will be closely coordinated with the MSD MEL & Adaptive Learning Consultant to ensure coherence across technical design, implementation, measurement, and learning. The consultant is expected to engage across program teams, supporting an integrated portfolio-level approach while ensuring practical applicability within individual programs.

The consultant will be responsible for providing technical guidance, coaching, and capacity strengthening support to program teams and leadership to enhance their ability to apply MSD principles in practice.

Specifically, the consultant will:

1. Conduct Portfolio Review and Capacity Needs Assessment

1. Conduct a participatory review of the MSD portfolio, through

1. a review existing program processes, tools, and ways of working

1. a review of existing strategic focus areas and intervention strategies

1. consultations with program teams, MEL staff, and leadership

1. Identify portfolio-level gaps, opportunities, and priorities for strengthening systemic impact

1. Assess individual and team capacity gaps in core MSD competencies, with a strong focus on practical application.

1. Develop a prioritized, practical capacity strengthening and mentorship plan, including:

1. Learning priorities (individual and group)

1. Coaching and mentorship approach

1. Provide Tailored Coaching and Mentorship (Individual and Team)

1. Provide ongoing coaching and mentorship to program staff and leadership, including:

1. Application of MSD concepts to current MSD interventions

1. Troubleshooting implementation challenges

1. Strengthening decision-making and facilitation approaches

1. Provide MSD leadership coaching, including:

1. Portfolio management and strategic prioritization

1. Donor engagement and communication (in coordination with MEL consultant)

1. Ensure mentorship:

1. Is embedded in real-time program implementation

1. Builds confidence and practical competency

1. Supports learning-by-doing across the portfolio

1. Provide Technical Advisory Support to Interventions and Portfolio Strategy

1. Conduct a technical review of and provide hands-on advisory support to priority (pilot) interventions, including:

1. Strengthening intervention logic and assumptions

1. Supporting deeper market systems analysis

1. Advising on partnership models and facilitation strategies

1. Recommending adaptations based on emerging evidence and market responses

1. Support teams to strengthen adaptive management practices, including:

1. Use of reflection and review processes

1. Integration of learning and evidence into decision-making

1. Collaborate closely with the MSD MEL Consultant to ensure alignment between technical implementation and learning systems

1. Provide portfolio-level strategic guidance, including:

1. Identifying priority areas for strengthening MSD practice, particularly across the portfolio

1. Identifying gaps, overlaps, and opportunities for greater systemic impact

1. Supporting prioritization and strategic decision-making

1. Assessing coherence and relevance of the intervention portfolio

1. Recommending improvements to processes, ways of working, and management tools used

Consultant Deliverables:

1. MSD Portfolio Review and Capacity Strengthening Plan

1. Review of program portfolio and MSD interventions and recommendations for management;

1. Assessment of existing MSD capacities and practices, strengths, and gaps at individual and team levels;

1. Capacity strengthening plan outlining:

1. Existing strengths and areas for development;

1. Group and individual learning priorities;

1. Proposed learning and coaching approach;

1. Proposed workplan and engagement schedule, including learning sessions and coaching/mentoring support;

1. Recommendations for continued capacity strengthening beyond the assignment.

1. Tailored coaching and mentoring for key staff

1. Ongoing coaching and mentoring to key staff and leadership throughout the assignment, documented through:

1. Summary of coaching/mentoring sessions and key recommendations for continued staff development

1. Advisory inputs to priority interventions (as needed)

1. Agreed follow-up actions with teams and leadership

1. Technical Assistance

1. Technical review of MSD pilot interventions with recommendations on:

1. Market systems analysis;

1. Intervention logic and design;

1. Market actor incentives;

1. Partnership approaches;

1. Facilitation strategies;

1. Assumption testing and intervention adaptation.

1. Specific technical inputs to program teams on intervention design, market analysis, partnership approaches, as well specific tools/processes co-developed with teams

1. Recommendations and suggested approaches to strengthen adaptive management practices, developed in collaboration with the MSD MEL & Adaptive Learning Consultant

1. Recommendations on the improvement of program management processes, ways of working, and implementation tools, as needed, and provide recommendations for strengthening MSD practice within program operations

1. Reflection with program leadership on the overall MSD portfolio, including the relevance and strategic fit of current interventions, potential gaps, opportunities for greater impact, and priorities for future adaptation or investment.

All deliverables will be co-developed with Mercy Corps Ukraine teams to ensure ownership, usability, and sustainability. Outputs are expected to contribute not only to individual program needs but also to the establishment of portfolio-wide MSD systems, tools, and practices that can be consistently applied and adapted across current and future interventions.

Timeframe / Schedule:

The consultancy is estimated to span up to 31 working days, concluding no later than 31 March 2027

The Consultant will report to:

The Consultant will report to the Economic Recovery Advisor

The Consultant will work closely with:

The Consultant will work closely with Mercy Corps Ukraine’s program leadership, program teams, and the MEL team to provide targeted mentorship and technical support for MSD pilot implementation. The Consultant will also collaborate closely with the MSD MEL & Adaptive Learning Consultant to ensure alignment between technical implementation, adaptive management, learning, and results measurement efforts.

The respective MSD MEL and technical capacity strengthening plans should be developed in close consultation, with opportunities for cross-engagement, referral, and adaptation between the two roles throughout the consultancy period.

Required Experience & Skills:

• 7-10 years of experience of increasingly proficient management and/or technical support in MSD programming and/or private sector experience, with at least one job experience in a globally well-reputed MSD project.

• Proven experience assessing markets and working with private sector partners

• Experience working across different geographies, mainly in Africa, and more specifically in fragile environments.

• Strong ability to understand and manage multiple stakeholders and complex relationships at multiple levels of the organization.

• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites, including traveling to insecure environments, is required.

• A proven proactive approach to work and self-driven leadership.

• Fluency in English is required, with strong written and oral communication skills.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.